


The recovery of the Jewel of Gitan

by SeeASweetSmile



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: F/M, Get back the Jewel in vilain's lair, Here my short fic about pikelavar, Inflirtation, Mek is pissed, Monsters & Mana (Voltron), Partner Betrayal, Pike is (kinda) forced to make honorable amend for his faults, Teamwork, Tension, Thunder will make an apparition
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-15
Updated: 2018-12-15
Packaged: 2019-09-19 13:08:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,803
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17002254
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SeeASweetSmile/pseuds/SeeASweetSmile
Summary: Pike made a mistake. A very big mistake. When Meklavar falls on him and threatens him with her ax and vengeful gaze, he knows he has no choice but to repair his faults.





	1. Bitter reunions

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys ! I'm here for my first pikelavar short fic. It'll be in three chapters. Two of them is made and I don't know when the third will coming but I'll do my best. I appreciate wrote the two chapters, especially the second chapter. I just hope, I don't really make them too OOC (my only fear when I write)

It happened very quickly.  
  
For a moment Pike was strolling nonchalantly through the streets of the small village of Brikoo, and two seconds later, he found himself thrown against the wooden fence of an alley. His ears caught the sound of a _thud_ and a _crack_ somewhere near his head and he felt the cold of a blade against his throat that made him shudder.  
  
Shyly opening his eyes to his attacker, he realized that he knew those amber eyes that stared at him with deep anger, frowning at their fullest, and the metal helmet that protected most of her head. She had an arm raised beside her head, and a slight glance told him that the thud he had heard was a dagger -or it was a kunai ?- which had suddenly nailed his scarf against the wood ; the board had cracked under the weight of the blow. In addition to that and the ax that was blocking him, he had no options to escape.  
  
He swallowed and gave a smile to his interlocutor.  
  
“H-hey, Meklavar ! It has been a long time !” He said in a trembling voice.

But hardly had time to salute her that he felt the blade of her ax lean a little more against his throat, the grip on her weapon tightened and her nose crunched with disapproval.  
  
"Don’t “it’s been a long time” to me !” she hissed.  
  
He raised his palms as a sign of capitulation and she continued in a calm but equally dangerous voice.  
  
“You know very well why I’m here, Pike.”

Oh yes, he knew it. And just to rethink it, he felt a wave of guilt overwhelm him.

 _Pike lowered his eyes from his rocky perch to look at Meklavar, lying on the ground with scratches everywhere while her ax a few meters away. She gave him a look that mixed with misunderstanding, fear and betrayal._  
  
"Forgive me, Mek…” he whispered.  
  
He then turned his attention to the egg-shaped gem that pulsed with a soft green light in his hand. A conflict crossed his mind and for a second he doubted these actions. But frowing his eyebrows and thinking of the reasons that drove him to act in this way, a resigned look immediately soothed the features of his face.  
  
He put the precious treasure of the dwarf in the purse on his belt and fled through the stone caverns intertwined with the dungeon he was in, ignoring the calls of Meklavar who desperately shouted his name. 

He blinked back to the present and stepped back a little deeper against the wooden picket fence, when he felt Meklavar’s face narrow the gap between them as a sign of intimidation -that slightly lost his threat when he noticed she was on tiptoe.  
  
This realization almost snatched an amused smile but the closed face of the dwarf dissuaded him very quickly and he swallowed loudly as the tip of his tail moved anxiously and his ears folded backwards.  
  
“What did you do with the Jewels of Gitan ? To which merchant did you sell it ? For how many Gold Gacs did you manage to trade ? Talk.” she asked.

"I didn’t sell it to anyone, I swear !”  
  
“You lie. Hurry tell me the truth or else I cut your throat.” she ordered, sure of herself.  
  
"It’s the truth !” he exclaimed. "I didn’t steal your jewel to make money -even if I could have hit the jackpot with your treasure ! And if I had sold it, do you really think I would still have those clothes ?” he said, gesturing to his own body.

Even though Meklavar seemed to be thinking about his explanations, it was obviously not that which stopped her when she released her dagger to tap her padded shirt, her face focused, and then felt his pockets filled with coins and weapons metal clinging to his belt. Pike jumped and his muscles, including his ears and tail, tensed instinctively. When she slightly touched her buttocks with her gloved hand behind him, the young man reacted immediately; he took her forearm and pushed it away from his body.  
  
She straightened up and arched an inquiring eyebrow.  
  
"What ? That’s where you hid it ? In an inside pocket at the back of your pants ?”  
  
"I - No !” he stammered, his cheeks burning under his red marks. "How would I do to move ?!”  
  
How could she do that too naturally ? In his place, he would never have dared to make such an embarrassing search. He knew that the dwarves were uncomfortable beings, but not at this point… ! When she leaned to her left side to search for his pockets, Pike panicked and covered his buttocks.

“Ok, ok ! I did it to save my family ! They were imprisoned by a smuggler named Kitax and it was the only way they were free ! So please, stop searching me like I’m a criminal !” he cried hurriedly, eyelids closed.  
  
When he received no answer, he opened his eyes again and discovered her two golden orbs who scrutinized him intensely, as if she was looking for the slightest bit of body language that would incriminate him. Breathless and pounding heart, Pike moistened his lips. He didn’t break contact with her eyes and kept going, hoping to satisfy the dwarf’s desire for response.  
  
"I did it to save my family… All the money and diamonds I brought him weren’t enough to free them. So I had to find an even more important and valuable object. And when you mentioned your family’s heritage treasure…”  
  
“… you decided you were going to follow me, win my trust and once I found the Jewel of Gitan, you would steal it from me to solve your problems ?” she added.

"Yes, but I…” he sighed and his shoulders sagged with shame. “If you knew how hard it was for me to do that… I hesitated a lot of times before I decided to really do it. Because I didn’t plan to spend so many good times and adventures with you. You’ve become someone who matters a lot to me and I honestly think so !” he said, putting a hand on his chest. “But I… I _had_ to save my family. It was the only solution. I’m sorry for betraying you, Meklavar. If I could go get it, I would, I assure you! but - »  
  
“So you will do it.” She answered simply.  
  
” _What_?!“  
  
"You will help me to infiltrate Kitax’s lair and recover the treasure you stole from me.”

“You’re crazy ?! It’s a real fortress there ! There are guards absolutely _everywhere_! And he hides all these treasures in a room with lots of traps to prevent access to the safe ! Plus, there’s only him who knows the code ! Nuh-uh, I don’t risk my tail in there.” he refused.  
  
A silence settled between them, and when Pike thought that Meklavar was going to capitulate because of his arguments just as validate, a smirk stretched her little lips and a brazen glow shone in her eyes.  
  
"You’re an assassin-thief-ninja, right ?”  
  
He scowled and folded his arms.

“Ninja-assassin-thief” he corrected, not even bothering to try the thief adjective of her mind. And also because, well, he had proved to her that he was really a thief with the low blow he had done to her.  
  
"Nevermind. Discretion, infiltration, loot things…, is your thing. So you are perfectly capable of carrying out this mission. If it suits you better in this way, I can hire you and you will receive a reward.” she suggested.  
  
”…Okay, I admit that you piqued my curiosity with your mysterious reward but seriously, did you even listen to what I just said a minute ago ?” he irritated. “No way to access his -”  
  
“Do you still have your cloak of invisibility ?” she snapped abruptly.  
  
"Um, yes ?”

A frank smile cut through the dwarf’s face, and she finally pulled the blade out of his throat to rest her weapon easily against her shoulder in a metallic clatter. Pike automatically massaged his neck and grimaced when he felt a slight mark -he must have a pink trace now.  
  
“Then, it’s perfect ”  
  
Meklavar approached him again but this time it was to remove the dagger which was still stuck in the wood and to put it in a pocket at her hip. Pike pouted at the hole in his red scarf and looked up when she spoke again.  
  
“See you tonight at the City Inn to discuss the plan in detail. I’ll be at a table in the lobby. Don’t be late.” she said as she came out of the alley and into the shopping street.

He didn’t even have time to stop her and ask her if she would ever forgive him for his betrayal or even to warn her about the risks his family would incur if the operation were successful. He thinks he’s going to have to talk to her about all of this when they meet tonight.  
  
Pike put his face to his hands and moaned. Damn, what had he gotten into…?

 


	2. The plan

Pike was standing in front of the lighted inn where Meklavar had arranged to meet him and fiddling with his long red scarf near his neck.  
  
“Okay, Pike,” he murmured to himself. “You know you've messed up with you and Mek, but try to play it cool. Be relaxed and everything will go well.”  
  
He took a deep breath and blew a breath to give himself courage. He opened the door with a squeak and closed it behind him. Tinkling glass, alchool smells, laughter and other conversations were scattering the room. Some creatures seated here and there stared at him, certainly for letting the cold in for a moment, before returning to their conversations. Pike ignored them and looked for Meklavar.

In a corner of the lobby of the Inn -the furthest corner and safe from indiscreet ears, Pike noted, she was waiting for him with a dark aura and a grave look, hands clasped on the wooden table in front of her. She had removed her helmet which she had placed on the table next to her elbow. He swallowed quietly before forcing his legs to take him to where she was.  
  
“You're late.” she accused directly.  
  
“Only five minutes.” he retorted as he sat down on the wooden seat in front of her. He snuggled comfortably to the back, his right arm resting on the back, while his left arm was stretched and his palm lay flat on the table. He smiled _mockingly_ at Meklavar before speaking. “And then, you know what they say ? You have to know how to be desired.”  
  
But obviously, his attempt to lighten the atmosphere didn't please Meklavar. With a swift gesture, she took the dagger she had used that afternoon in the alley and hit the wooden table, within a inch of a thumb between his fingers. Pike's smile remained frozen, just like his heart, as he screeching internally. He also feels that his tail had just instinctively stood straight behind his back in terror.  
  
“I'm not here to joking, Pike.” Meklavar snarled, releasing her hold on her weapon, which remained stuck right on the table.

As the dwarf pulled back to fold her arms in a metallic noise, Pike released the tension into his muscles and let out a breath that he didn't know he was holding back. He put a hand to his chest to make sure his heart was still beating.  
  
“Jeez, calm down. I just wanted to relax the atmosphere...” he said, moving uncomfortably on his bench.

Meklavar ignored him and turned aside to signal to the innkeeper for drinking. What the waiter did immediately by nodding from the counter behind which he was standing, and barely a minute later, the both found themselves with a beer mug in front of them.  
  
Meanwhile, Pike took the opportunity to detail the dagger more closely. To his surprise, he noticed that he was one of the kunais he had offered to her. He had it done at a blacksmith's house and asked for the letters “P-M” to be engraved in lower case in the handle.  
  
“You always have the kunai I gave you...” he whispered, staring at the weapon.  
  
His observation was not insignificant, and he hoped that she would understand the unspoken that he wanted to imply. Because, if she still had the gift he had given her, it meant that she still held him despite his betrayal, no ?, he thought as his heart beat with hope.  
  
“It's a practical weapon, I didn't want to throw something useful.” she replied in an impassive face. “And then, when I used it, it always reminded me of my goal, which was to track you wherever you are, and not to give up before finding you.”

Pike suddenly felt his throat dry and thought that Meklavar could really be scary when she was determined. He took a sip to hydrate himself and sighed happily as he lowered his glass into a dull _tunk_ on the wood of the table.  
  
“So, what's your great plan anyway ? Go through the sewers ?” he asked, entering the preamble in the thick of things.  
  
“I could have said yes, but no.”  
  
“Good. Because there's no way that I wade in the mud.” he replied, crossing his arms categorically.  
  
His condition made Meklavar smile briefly, who took a sip of beer in her turn, and licked her lips to remove the mustache of moss that had clung to it. Pike had followed her tongue movement with an absorbed look, but immediately blinked as she leaned forward to speak in a measured voice. Although they were sitting in the most isolated corner of the inn, she had always wanted to be careful.  
  
“Well, the plan is simple : first, we sneak quietly into the fortress.”

 

But she had barely begun to explain that Pike stopped her immediately, dubious.  
  
“From where ? And the guards ? What do you do about them ? Because, I don't know if you listened to what I told you this afternoon, but there are guards _everywhere_. How are we going to divert their attention ?”  
  
“I know someone. An infiltrator in the ranks of Kitax who – ”  
  
“An infiltrator ? You're not afraid that he's turning his jacket over and denouncing us to Kitax even before we can move ? What's his name, by the way ?” he questioned, ignoring her irritated clatter of tongue as he had just cut her off for the second in a short time.  
  
She tightened her hold on her glass and sighed deeply through her nose.

 

“He's an old friend; there will be no worries on that side, I can assure you. And his name is Thunderstorm Darkness.” she replied as Pike laughed immediately.  
  
“What's that ridiculous name ?”  
  
“Because you think Pike is better ?” retorted Meklavar.  
  
“It's perfect, “ _Pike_ ” !” he said, extending his arms in a sufficient way. “It's sharp, it's short, it's easy to pronounce...”  
  
“His name is long but that's what he's called, so avoid disrespecting him. In short, as I said before you cut me, Thunder will distract them with explosives activated remotely a few meters from the marker."  
  
Pike raised an eyebrow and encouraged her to continue explaining her plan.  
  
“Once the guards' attention is foiled, we will enter through the main entrance.”

 

He was silent as his second eyebrow arched and he stared at her with a septic eye.  
  
“By the big door ? Just like that ?”  
  
“Well, there may be one or two guards left, but you'll have your invisibility cloak : in a hurry and chaos, I'm sure they'll forget to close the doors, so we'll be able to get into the base as well easily than in a mill.”  
  
Pike hummed thoughtfully as he rubbed his chin, before speaking in turn.  
  
“And how do you want us to do ? I only have a cloak of invisibility, if you remembered. No two.”  
  
“Uhh, I'm going to piggyback you ?” she replied, unimpressed, as if it were obvious. “Plus, your cloak is big enough for both of us if we do that.”

 

Pike blinked. Once. Two. Then when he saw that she was not pouting another word, that her two amber orbs were holding his gaze seriously, he realized that it was _really_ part of the plan. He sighed openly, raising his palms in front of him, head down, as if he was giving up hope in the plan she had cleverly constructed.  
  
“That's out. It will never work.”  
  
“ _It will_ !” assured Meklavar, raising her arms in pumped fists.  
  
“And why is it _you_ who should piggyback me, first ?” he asked, pointing at her, annoyed. "You're a dwarf, you weigh less than me.”  
  
“And my 25 kg armor ? You forget it ? I can easily support _your_ feather-weight on my back but I don't know if you, you can bear my weight and that of my armor. But after all, it's you who sees...” she added in a nonchalant voice.

 

Eyelids closed, Pike pinched his nose, irritated by her light but provocative tone, and hesitated to tell her that he was far from being a “feather-weight”. He remained silent, time to consider her argument, and opened his eyes a few seconds later.  
  
"Ok, fine. And if they spot us even before we can go through the doors ?” he asked before taking a sip of his drink.  
  
“Well, as I said, it might be one or two guards but nothing insurmountable for a ninja-assassin, isn't ?” she said with a smirk and a gleam in her eyes.  
  
Pike shivered. Ugh, she knew how to flattered him when it was necessary but he was sure that if they would have been in a normal or light conversation, she wouldn't have hesitated to make fun of her title. However, the thief had not yet said his last word and planned to examine her plan in great details.

"And you want us to hide the two guards where ?" he asked. "We cann't leave them in front of the doors."  
  
"Kitax's lair is located on the outskirts of the city, we would only have to hoist them on the branches of trees nearby. They will have trouble falling back when they wake up."  
  
Pike hummed as he rubbed his chin while Meklavar drink her beer, and few seconds later, she continued to articulate her strategy.

“Then we go in and try to go upstairs. There will certainly still be some guards inside, but much less than usual. Thunder will be waiting for us on the third floor during his guard tour. He can guide us to the room where Kitax keeps all these treasures. Once there, we avoid all traps, we recover the jewel, and we go quickly and well. Case settled.” Meklavar concluded confidently, leaning against her seat and crossing her arms behind her head.

 

But Pike was far from being so confident. He anxiously tapped his index finger on the wood of the table, while his tail reflected his movement behind him, lowered his eyes to his mug, glanced at Meklavar who had moved from her position to sit properly and rest her forearms on the table while watching him patiently. He straightened up to have his back straight, took a breath, ran a hand through his hair, crossed the amber eyes of the dwarf again, and finally sighed.  
  
“I... I'm sorry, Mek. I can't.” he admitted, looking down at the table. “My family may be in danger again, or even get killed if Kitax discovers that I have taken over the Jewel that I exchanged for freedom of mines. And I refuse to expose them again to a life of slavery.”  
  
But it was clearly not the right answer that Meklavar was waiting for, since she was angry at once. She punched the table, rattling her helmet in a metallic noise, before pointing at him threateningly.

“I remind you that if we're here, it's because of you !” she accused. “And then, if you're so scared that Kitax is going to come after your family, just kill him while we're there. You're a murderer, right ? It should be a piece of cake for you !”  
  
“I – of course !” he pouted, frowning. “But he never stays alone, he always has close custody : it's impossible to reach him ! And if I kill him now, all his troops will be at my heels sooner or later !”  
  
“That's why your invisibility cloak will not _only_ serve us to enter. If ever you can approach him and kill him, you can kill two birds with one stone. But if it becomes too complicated because he's not found or we are spotted, we will only have to hide and disappear under your cloak. He will not know it's us, even less you.” she said logically, which made Pike chuckle.  
  
“Do you really think Kitax will not have his suspicions ? I give him the Jewel of Gitan in exchange for the freedom of my family, and a week later, he is stolen his precious jewel ? Nah, nah, nah, nah.” he refused, shaking his head. “The coincidence is too big. Let's wait at least another month for it to be safe.”

“A month ?! Never ! If we wait too long, we will miss the effect of surprise ! It's tonight, and not another day !” imposed Meklavar, raising her voice.  
  
“Fine, so you have to do it alone then ! Because your plan is too risky for my family ! No way to make them run the slightest danger !” he replied sharply.  
  
“Well, maybe you had to think twice before selling my jewel to a another thief ! You sincerely thought that I was not going to find your trace and claim the treasure of _my_ family ?!”  
  
“Your egg-shaped antique is not more important than _my_ family ! Plus, it's only a green pebble that shines.” he taunted, gesturing with his hands, as if to minimize the rarity of the object.

  
  
But it was the wrong thing to say. For the second time in a day, Pike found himself with a blade under his throat and Meklavar's deformed angry face in front of him. With a swift movement, she had picked up the kunai which had been stuck in the table to threaten him.  
  
“Remove right away what you just said.” she ordered.  
  
But this time, Pike wasn't sweating under the surly look of the dwarf. Although his pupils retracted under the sudden gesture, he was not afraid. He even allowed himself to titillate the point of her blade with his chin by pure provocation, while he stared straight into her golden eyes, as if to show her that she could threaten his life, he wouldn't flinch.

They stared at each other for a moment, without a word. And as Meklavar moistened her lips to start a word, the bartender's voice suddenly rumbled in their direction, causing them to jump.  
  
“Hey ! You two there ! Make less noises ! If you continue, I put you out !”  
  
Under his threatening aura, Pike and Meklavar's bodies narrowed slightly and they nodded silently to make the waiter understand that he had understood his warning.  


Meklavar suddenly dropped her dagger on the table and grabbed her beer mug for a long drink.

  
Silence reigned between them as they finally calmed down, both locked in their thoughts. From time to time, they absent-mindedly brought their glasses to drink but looked everywhere except to the other. When the silence stretched too much for Pike's taste, he glanced at Meklavar and met her gaze briefly before immediately lowering it to the wood of the table, without seeing that she was doing the same thing.  
  
“Sorry.” he apologized softly before looking at her again.

  
  
Meklavar puts a gloved hand through her hair to push them back and let out a tired sigh.  
  
“You know, I didn't plan to steal the Jewel without giving him another replacement.”

Pike frowned, quietly asking what she meant by that. For any answer, she motioned him to look under the table, and Pike obeyed, leaning to the side, intrigued. He was stunned by the fact that Meklavar's gloved hand was secretly revealing him in front of her armor.  
  
“B-But it's the...” he stammered, pointing at the object with his finger, incredulous.  
  
“It's a replica.” replied Meklavar.  
  
“How do you – ”  
  
“I called one of the best craftsmen in the country. This one is identical to mine, the green particles inside are made of tiny stones that shine automatically in contact.” she explained as the object disappeared into a secret compartment of her armor as Pike straightened up. “It cost me a lot of the money I kept in case of absolute need but with that, we will be able to trade the real for the wrong, and Kitax will think nothing has been stolen.”  
  
Pike folded his arms and hummed in thought, not without shaking his leg, as if to accelerate his process of thought. But obviously, even with all the arguments he had now in his possession, he took too long to decide for Meklavar, who let out a small sigh while searching through one of her pockets hanging on the back of her belt.  
  
She took out a small purse she placed in the center of the table and in which were rubies of all colors.  
  
“Here is your advance on the reward. Think of it as an insurance. I'll give you the rest later.”

Pike's jaw dropped to the sight of what she had just exposed. Gaped, he was absorbed by the brilliance and beauty of these rubies. How did she even find it ? At the price of immeasurable force, he manages to eradicate his eyes precious stones to raise his eyes on the face of the dwarf.  
  
“And you say that's only part of the reward ?” he asked, arching a septic eyebrow.  
  
“Yes. All these rubies are already yours if you accept our contract.”  
  
An eager temptation ran through Pike's veins, who automatically reached for the purse, but his fingers retracted at the last moment.  
  
Ignoring the raised eyebrow of Meklavar on him, Pike looked at the rubies again, a clear hesitation on the features of his face. At the end of a minute that seemed endless, Pike straightened up for the umpteenth time, leaned against the back of the bench and threw a glare in front of him.  
  
“You have questions ?” Meklavar encouraged him in a softer tone.

  
He nodded silently, scratched his cheek, replaced his front band, and cleared his throat before speaking.

“You may not believe what I'm going to say, but if I agree to help you in your plan and everything is successful, will you be able to forgive me for what I've done to you ?” he asked awkwardly. “Honestly, even if my brain screams “money”, my heart doesn't want all these rubies. I mean, of course they are beautiful and they would make everyone's eyes spin ! But sincerely ? I just want you to forgive me. It's the only reward I really want.” he said as his shoulders fell into a sign of fatigue.  
  
Meklavar arched an eyebrow at Pike's faint blue eyes and judged him in silence as he played anxiously with his wrist bracelet. After several seconds, she folded her arms and finally answered.  
  
“Perhaps.”  
  
“I always learned that “perhaps” it meant no.” Pike answered with a reserved voice.  
  
The dwarf then leaned back and stared at him, eyes narrowed.  
  
“It will depend on the success of the mission. Because, you understand that I do not want to be betrayed a second time, isn't it ?”  
  
Pike's ears lowered shamefully as his heart ran down his chest.  
  
“Fine” he mumbled, looking away.  
  
“Good, then our discussion stops there.” she says, putting her helmet back on her head. She took hold of the wooden table and stood up. “Meet you in 3 hours at the foot of the big oak in the center of the village. Will you have time to make your preparations ?”  
  
Pike nodded.  
  
“It's more than enough, yes.”  
  
“Great. See you later.” she greeted in a nod.

However, as she was about to pass by him, Pike held out his hand to restrain her but did not try to grab his arm or wrist.  
  
“Hey wait !” the thief interjected. “You forget your rubies.”  
  
She blinked, glanced at the table, then turned her attention back to the thief. She put a hand on his shoulder and leaned toward him. The breath and the low voice of Meklavar as close to his ear caused him goosebumps that went to straighten the hairs of his neck.  
  
“Take them, Pike. You will be able to relocate your family in a quiet and remote village of the country. Just in case. Okay ?”  
  
And then, without waiting for an answer from him -and because his brain had momentarily short-circuited, she tapped him on the shoulder again to make him jump.  
  
“I count on you. See you tonight.”

 

**Author's Note:**

> I'm apologize for the mistakes I probably did. I'm French and I'm stil learn to write in english, so if you see any mistakes, free feels to said it and maybe explains them to me if there's complexes one. 
> 
> Hope you liked it, guys ! And don't forget to always watering your plance ! 
> 
> You can find me on tumblr under @seeasweetsmile ! Come to say hello or gushing about pikelavar or plance ! :)


End file.
